CDC update on Ebola - Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)

[sharon sanders]

From: "Media@cdc.gov (CDC)" <sohco@CDC.GOV>
To: MMWR-MEDIA@LISTSERV.CDC.GOV
Subject: Media Release: CDC update on Ebola - Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)
Date: Oct 8, 2014 2:45 PM
Media Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Contact: CDC Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

CDC update on first Ebola case diagnosed in the United States and New Ebola Screening Guidelines in U.S. Airports


WHAT: CDC will host a press briefing to update on first Ebola case diagnosed in the United States and New Ebola Screening Guidelines in U.S. Airports


WHO: Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H,
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Alejandro Mayorkas
Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security

WHEN: Wednesday, October 8, 2014, at 4:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. CT)

WHERE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Tom Harkin Global Communications Center (Building 19), Press Room
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30329


Reporters who wish to attend the media briefing in person should RSVP no later than 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 8, 2014. Please contact CDC?s press office at 404-639-3286 or email us at media@cdc.gov to RSVP. Reporters who RSVP will be guaranteed access.

For directions to CDC, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/museum/visitor.htm


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Date: 10/8/14
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TRANSCRIPT :
A transcript of this telebriefing will be available following the briefing at CDC?s web site: www.cdc.gov/media .

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: CDC update on Ebola - Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)

I am not live tweeting this. If anyone would like to post some notes here, please do!

 

[Chicagogal]

Re: CDC update on Ebola - Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)

I can add a few notes:

Frieden: deeply saddened by the death. 3742 patients have died in W. Africa so far, but Duncan became the "face" of the epidemic.

3 steps to preparedness: identification, diagnosis, safe care - should be top of mind for all healthcare providers. (Reviewing established protocols and outreach materials.) Despite precautions, "we can't get the risk to zero, no matter what we do." Above all, do no harm: make sure what we do doesn't unintentionally create more risk. SARS ineffective/unnecessary travel restrictions costs millions. Stepping up protection related to travel.

Alejandro Mayorkas (Homeland Security): screening, isolation, and referral to healthcare professionals. Layers of security already in place: 1) visual observation and "do not board" orders as appropriate, 2) info/guidance to airlines, 3) notices at airports, 4) care sheet (health notice) to travelers from affected countries with info/instructions.

Today's enhanced measures: new detailed questionnaire, temp checks, and collection of contact info from people entering through main five airports from Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. Temp checks will be non-contact.

Frieden: fever, or history of contact with Ebola, will generate assessment by health officer on site. About 1 in 500 visitors may present with fever unrelated to Ebola, typically from malaria, where fever typically comes and goes. Clinical and exposure assessment will be done - individual may need to be assessed and isolated by the applicable local public health system. This may mean, at a minimum, taking temperature for 21 days after the last exposure. Program starts Saturday at JFK and next week at other four airports.

 

[Chicagogal]

Re: CDC update on Ebola - Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)

Q. Will these protections be enough?

A. This will not make the risk zero. There have been calls for a travel ban; the problem with that is that we can't respond to the outbreak. If we make it harder to respond, it will spread, ultimately increasing the risk here.

Q. Has this type of screening been done before?

A. Highly effective thermometers don't require touching the patient, give a reliable result.

Q. What's the legal authority to hold American citizens? Isn't it like looking for a needle in the haystack? Isn't this really about calming people and not very useful?

A. Only 150 travelers per day, so not very disruptive. Public health: right to protect the public. We do that by isolating individuals who may threaten public health, U.S. citizens or not.

Q. CDC has said we need only Level 2, but we see Level 4 in video/photos. Is it possible Level 4 is actually increasing the risk of contamination from removal of PPE?

A. Needs to be a balance. It's difficult to work in cumbersome equipment. Looking at all possibilities, but need to make sure people are safe.

Q. Was Thomas Duncan eligible to receive plasma?

A. Don't know - you'd have to ask Dallas. Reminder that Ebola is fatal and difficult to treat.

Q. Second Ebola patient in Texas? Was he in contact? Was he on the watch list? In Africa?

A. There is someone who is being assessed who does not appear right now to have had either contact with Duncan or Ebola symptoms. We expect there to be rumors and concerns, but keep it in perspective.

 

[Chicagogal]

Re: CDC update on Ebola - Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)

Q. Are resources being diverted for this screening process?

A. No. Being done by Customs and Border Protection - CDC is already there. We'll need to add a very small # of new staff.

Q. If symptoms don't show for 21 days, how does it help to check temperature?

A. We're looking at every layer. Interviews are also important.

Q. Where did this additional screening originate? A week ago, you weren't in favor. Also, tell us about quarantine facilities.

A. Collective effort across the administration. No PPE at airports. There are quarantine stations in each airport.

Q. What's the state of the international effort?

A. Surge of resources into each of the countries, surging out to counties within country. Multi-country effort. Challenge is rapid spread. Some signs of progress - more safe burials. Increased isolation capacity. Going to be a long, hard fight. Getting resources to where they're most needed is the biggest challenge.

Q. Any guidance given to airlines regarding cleaning air crafts? What should they be doing?

A. CDC has issued detailed guidelines for this.

Q. Earlier diagnosis increases survival rate. Did delay contribute to Duncan's death? Also, we don't know what went wrong - how can we be confident it won't happen again?

A. Working hard to make sure health care providers think Ebola when they see fever + West Africa. Otherwise, ask Dallas.

Q. Are all 48 contacts of Duncan being monitored? If this new patient is not one of them, is it fair to say they did not have contact?

A. We did extensive work, including "might" have had contact. All of them are being monitored. This new guy was not on the list. No definite contact; no definite symptoms.

Q. Duncan a) didn't have a fever, b) lied. Would the screening process catch him? Also, how are we trying to avoid the lessons of SARS?

A. Additional questions may have identified him. Costs of SARS: many related to people cancelling travel, trade that didn't occur. Business leaders say they are already seeing an impact, even in places unrelated to Ebola.

 

[Chicagogal]

Re: CDC update on Ebola - Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)

Q. Duncan's care vs. Brantly's care?

A. ZMapp is no longer available. Takes a long time to produce. Otherwise, patient care is individual and up to physician and family.

Q. Are these the extent of measures? Or more to come? How will passengers be identified if their connecting flight is booked separately from originating flight?

A. Screening of outbound travelers is already done, including temp. checks. Over the last month, 77 people were kept from boarding. We'll be thinking about what else can be done as pilot program is assessed. Can identify point of origin.

Q. Is Ebola here to stay?

A. We've stopped every outbreak until this one. Surging response, long, hard fight. Believe we can still contain it. If we fail, then it would be a very different situation.

Q. What are the guidelines for handing human remains?

A. High risk procedures. Viral load is at its highest at death. Respectfully, with ability of family to view, body will be safely removed, handled.

Q. Who was (is?) the mystery patient at Emory? What was the outcome?

A. We don't reveal info about patients. We simply consult with treating health systems.

Key messages: stepping up efforts, continually re-evaluating efforts, doing everything we can to protect Americans.